Registration for the 21st HPA Tech Retreat Now Open

(Los Angeles, CA) Today at the SMPTE Symposium, produced by the Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA(r), registration for the 2015 HPA Tech Retreat officially opened. For the 21st consecutive year, a veritable who's who of engineering, technology, creativity and strategic business leaders will gather in the desert to discuss the trends and technologies of the future, while tackling head-on the issues of the present. The HPA Tech Retreat takes place at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, CA, from February 9th to the 13th, 2015.

The HPA's preeminent event enjoys a global reach, bringing together the thought leaders and senior practitioners driving the rapidly advancing entertainment technology landscape. The HPA Tech Retreat has consistently proven to be a crucial gathering where technological developments in production, post production and broadcast are unveiled, discussed and debated. During the Tech Retreat, attendees from the media and entertainment industries are uniquely able to share time and ideas with academics from around the world, scientists, and experts in technology from various disciplines. The environment is one of discovery and exploration.

Mark Schubin, who has led the programming for the HPA Tech Retreat for many years, notes, "Each year, we receive submissions from all over the world - about six times more than we can possibly use - and, based on what I've seen so far, it's going to be hard to choose. So many new technologies have been introduced at the Retreat over the years that it's tough to count them all."

Over the course of its history, the HPA Tech Retreat has seen a number of breakthrough products and processes previewed in advance of their actual debuts. Surround headphones, full-color full-motion holograms, Sony's HDCAM SR, SR Memory, targeted-ad production and distribution systems, Panasonic's Varicam and stereoscopic cameras, Dolby's high-dynamic-range video monitors, Pencil-beam microphones, and OLED monitors to name just a few of the many "firsts" to be unveiled at the Tech Retreat.

Leon Silverman, President of HPA, notes, "The Tech Retreat is the place you go to see history before it's made, and to move and shake with the movers and shakers across the technology community. The subjects are always topical, but the real value of this event is the ability to share ideas and challenges, to understand from those who really know and get inspired. While I take away so much from this event each year in program content, an equally important take away comes from mingling with this amazing group - the teachers who teach the teachers. If you have not been to the Tech Retreat, you owe it to yourself to make a pilgrimage to the desert. If you have been, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

Breakfast roundtables are also a popular part of every HPA Tech Retreat. Schubin comments, "Participants begin hashing out the future of media at the lively breakfast roundtables. Among the topics already confirmed for the 2015 event are net neutrality, content security, workflow complications, and a review of the legislative and regulatory environment."

The HPA Tech Retreat is a not to be missed opportunity for industry professionals. The five day, multifaceted event includes dynamic conference sessions, a curated Demo Room with leading-edge technologies, networking events, and parties. The session schedule and programming information will be announced soon.

Earlier this year, SMPTE and HPA became official partners, moving forward with plans for full organizational consolidation by May 2015. Today's Symposium is the first jointly produced HPA/ SMPTE event, an auspicious time to open registration for the HPA Tech Retreat.

The event has a history of selling out, and timely registration for the 2015 HPA Tech Retreat is recommended. Registration at Early Bird rates is now available, REGISTER. For more information on the event and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.hpaonline.com, call the HPA office at (213) 614-0860, or email Eileen Kramer at ekramer@hpaonline.com.

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About the HPA Tech Retreat

The HPA Tech Retreat(r) is an informal gathering, in the Palm Springs area, of the top industry engineering, technical, and creative talent, as well as strategic business leaders focused on technology, from all aspects of digital cinema, post production, film, television, video, broadcast and related technology areas, for the exchange of information. The 2015 HPA Tech Retreat will take place February 9 to 13, in Indian Wells, California.

About the Hollywood Post Alliance(r)

Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content. Through their partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers(r) (SMPTE(r)), the leader in the advancement of the art, science and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem, the HPA continues to extend its support of the community it represents. Information about the HPA is available at ww.hpaonline.com.

The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has issued a Call for Proposals for the 2017 HPA Tech Retreat®. Considered one of the most important annual events for individuals and companies engaged in the creation, management, and dissemination of content in the dynamic landscape of distribution environments, the Tech Retreat will return to Indian Wells, California for the 23rd year of the event. The event attracts a wide array of attendees and speakers, from Oscar winners to NASA experts, and engages leaders from every facet of the content ecosystem.